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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSILVESTER, Victor(b Victor Marlborough Silvester, 25 Feb. 1900, England; d 14 Aug. '78, France) Bandleader. Named after a Boer War victory, middle name from an Archbishop. Repeatedly ran away from school, finally joined the army before he was 15. After WWI attended Sandhurst intending to become an army officer, became professional ballroom dancer instead: won World Ballroom Dancing Championship '22, operated dancing school '24, opened a larger one in London's Bond Street '27 (celebrities such as Gracie Fields and actress Merle Oberon taking lessons); wrote Modern Ballroom Dancing '28. Finding most records unsuitable for his sort of dancing, he produced sides by pianist Gerry Moore '34, led own orchestra '35: he was soon given a radio series, leading to complaints from other leaders that he wasn't a real bandleader. Radio series incl. BBC Dancing Club '41; he led a "Jive Band' at one point with the best UK jazzmen, but mostly stuck to "strict tempo', Strings for Dancing orchestra as well as a conventional dance band; radio show went to TV '48; after many years with Parlophone he switched to Pye '70 and continued making more records than any other bandleader in the world, his son Victor Jr. carrying on since his death. |